Bastiodon is a Rock/Steel Pokemon that was introduced along with the Sinnoh Region (Generation IV) and it is the evolved form of Shieldon. This Pokemon is a fossil Pokemon, which means that it has been resurrected using a fossil restoration machine. A group of Bastiodon can stand together to form a wall to protect their younglings.
About Bastiodon
| First appearance in anime | Pokemon the Series: Diamond and Pearl |
| First appearance in game | Diamond/Pearl |
| Region | Sinnoh |
| Evolution | Shieldon --> Bastiodon |
| 1st Evo level | 30 |
| Pokedex Entry | This Pokémon is from roughly 100 million years ago. Its terrifyingly tough face is harder than steel. |
Bastiodon Base stats
| HP | 60 |
| ATTACK | 52 |
| DEFENCE | 168 |
| SP. ATTACK | 47 |
| SP. DEFENCE | 138 |
| SPEED | 30 |
| TOTAL | 495 |
Appearance
Bastiodon is primarily dark grey and yellow in colour which resembles a bulldozer. The face of this pokemon looks like the front of a bastion, with two semi arches on two sides of its face while the semi arches are yellow inside. The rest of the face is dark grey with a bulge coming out from in between the two yellow arches. This bulge has a tusk-like structure sideways from both sides.
Its eyes are below these tusks, yellow in colour and the mouth is right below the eyes with tusks coming from the bottom jaw. Its feet are large like that of an elephant, all covered in dark grey, which look like armor. The tail looks like a drill and is also dark grey. It stands on four legs and the back of the pokemon has scales on them along with a little armor while the rest of its body is yellow.
Behavior
Bastiodon are generally calm pokemon who feed on berries and grass -- unless it runs into a Rampardos. These two Pokemon seem to have a violent history with each other, their fossils often being found next to each other. This is because while Ramparados has an attack that can break anything while Bastiodon’s face can deflect anything that touches it. Bastiodon can be the perfect shield when required and this is how it protects its younglings. It can line up and form a shield which is almost invulnerable to attacks.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Due to the dual Rock/Steel typing, Bastiodon is weak to Water type moves and takes double the normal damage from them. It is also weak to both Fighting and Ground types as well but takes quadruple the normal damage. However, it is immune to Poison type attacks and resistant to Rock, Bug, Psychic, Ice, Dragon and Fairy types. Bastiodon is also resistant to both Flying and Normal type moves but takes only a quarter of the normal damage.
Best moveset
Bastiodon is a tanky Pokemon thanks to its ridiculously high defense and special defense. However, even though it has many resistances, the weakness to fighting type is too much to overlook. Toxic and Stealth Rock is a deadly combo. After using Toxic, the opponent starts taking more damage the longer it is on the field. After using Toxic, scattering Stealth Rock can cause an entry hazard. This means that no matter what they do, if they switch out to reduce the poison damage, they will be damaged anyway.
This might draw out the battle a little bit, but can be a deadly combo if you somehow manage to poison all of the opposing Pokemon. While stalling to increase the damage of Toxic, make sure to spam Iron defense. This move used thrice can maximise your Defense stat, which is already impressively high. This will especially come in handy against fighting types, as the majority of fighting type moves are Physical. Finally, Metal Burst can come handy as it reflects the damage that the opponent does to you, giving this Pokemon a chance to attack with 1.5x the damage without any investment in Attack stat.
| Stealth Rock | Toxic |
| Iron Defense | Metal Burst |
How to catch Bastiodon in Pokemon Go?
You can not find Bastiodon in the wild normally, but by capturing a Shieldon and then evolving it into Bastiodon using 50 candies. Shieldon are mostly found in farmlands, parking lots, cities and nature reserves. It also receives a boost when it is partly cloudy and when it is snowing. Alternatively, Shieldon can be hatched using a 10 KM egg. Bastiodon appeared as a Tier 3 raid boss on May 22nd and May 27th of 2020. Shieldon appeared as a Tier 1 raid boss on March 10th and March 13th of 2020, and July 23rd and November 18th of 2021.
Trivia
- Although always seen fighting with Rampardos, these pokemon are herbivores and prefer a peaceful lifestyle.
- The only way to defeat Bastiodon in lore is to attack it from the back.
- Bastiodon, when introduced in the anime, also fights Rampardos.
FAQs
Is Bastiodon a dinosaur?
Bastiodon is a fossil pokemon and is based on a dinosaur and a bulldozer.
What is Bastiodon good for?
Bastiodon is a tanky pokemon with incredibly high base defense and special defense. It can also stall with toxic and stealth rock combined with roar.
What does Bastiodon evolve into?
Bastiodon does not evolve into anything since it is the final evolved form of Shieldon.
Conclusion
Bastiodon is an impenetrable shield which can be the best line of defense. It does not charge at any pokemon, but rather peacefully eats berries and herbs. With the highest base defense and special defense in game, this pokemon can be quite a hassle to deal with if you don’t have a fighting type in your team.
